On 15 August 2014 the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2170 on the situations in Syria and Iraq. Resolution 2170 condemns the systematic and widespread abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians by armed extremist groups, particularly the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the Al-Nusra Front. The resolution expresses concern that parts of Iraq and Syria are under the control of these groups, and placed six individuals affiliated with the groups on the UNSC Al-Qaida sanctions list. The resolution also underlines the primary responsibility of UN member states to protect civilian populations in their territories.
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